topic Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change in ProLiant Servers (ML,DL,SL)

smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Stefan Pippel — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 08:42:08 GMT

Hello everybody,

we have a proliant dl360g5 with smart array p400i.
There are six physical drives installed. The first two as RAID 1+0 the last four as RAID 5.

Now we have replaced the old first two drives (72gb) with greater ones (136gb). We have done this one by one, so the logical drive is still useable, but of course only has the old capacity.

How do we could expand/extend this logical drive to the whole new capacity?

regards, Stefan

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

JohnWRuffo — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:24:32 GMT

You will need the ACU from, here:

http://h20000.www2.hp.com/bizsupport/TechSupport/SoftwareDescription.jsp?lang=en&cc=us&prodTypeId=18964&prodSeriesId=468780&prodNameId=468781&swEnvOID=1005&swLang=8&mode=2&taskId=135&swItem=MTX-031af397203d4a509e8275255c

Here is the ACU user guide, here:

http://h10032.www1.hp.com/ctg/Manual/c00709035.pdf

Be sure to have a GOOD backup this server and be VERY patient as this takes a long time to do!

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Stefan Pippel — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 06:45:27 GMT

Okay, thank you.
ACU was already installed, but I haven't found anything concerning extending.

So either the ACU Version is to old (we have 8.35.7.0) or it's just that limitation from Windows Server 2003 that the systempartition could not be extended.

So, what are my options for that? Is there an offline ACU for extending the logical drive? Afterwards, than I could extend the partition with some partitioning tool...

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

TTr — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:11:03 GMT

http://h18000.www1.hp.com/products/quickspecs/12400_div/12400_div.html

Does the P400i have the BBWC option?

If you don't have the BBWC on the P400i you can not do online logical drive expansion.

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Stefan Pippel — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 12:25:10 GMT

Yes, BBWC is onboard by default but not with the batterie build-in by default.
And so, this feature seems to be missing.

But making this action online is not needed on this system. At the workinghours this machine could be down for some time.
So, could we proceed this extending offline with ACU and afterwards extend the partition offline too? Or is there no HP tool for offline extending?

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

TTr — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 14:35:47 GMT

What operating system do you have on this server? The OS must be able to see the new logical drive size otherwise you will lose your data.

You can expand the logical drive offline using the ORCA (bios based ACU) or boot from the smartstart cd and run ACU from there.

Note that the logical drive extension takes about 15 minutes per GB so the extension can take long time.

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Stefan Pippel — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 05:45:37 GMT

Oh, sorry, forgotten the prime!

It's a Windows Server 2003.
I think, if I extend the logical partition with a tool kind of "Partition Magic" it should be working, right?

Best regards, Stefan

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Terry Hutchings — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:40:19 GMT

Partition magic will not see the new space until the controller assigns it to the logical drive. The ACU should give you the option to either extend the current logical drive or create a new one with the additional space that is available.

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Stefan Pippel — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:57:55 GMT

Okay, so if I have extended the logical drive, the extra capacity could be added with partition magic.

We will try and I will post the news, than.
First of all we have tho update some firmware and drivers.

Best regards, Stefan

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

TTr — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:32:53 GMT

After you extend the Logical disk you you will have a larger disk in windows but the same partition size as before.

You have to extend the OS partition on that same disk.

I don'r know if partition magic will do it but you can use the diskpart.exe utility which os a microsoft tool to extend the partition.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/325590

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Stefan Pippel — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:27:58 GMT

Greetings!

Partition Magic was only an example for this kind of partition management software.

Please pay attention, that diskpart.exe on Windows Server 2003 could only extend partitions that are NOT the systempartition, this only works since Windows Server 2008.

Like already mentioned, I will post some updates, if we have done the next steps.
But this will take some time, it's here a datacenter environment ...

Best regards, Stefan

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Michael A. McKenney — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:33:37 GMT

You expand the lun volume to its new size. In Windows 2008, you can expand the partition as long as it does not have a paging file in it. You would need to move the paging file to expand it.

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

apple13140 — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 06:10:43 GMT

Hi Mark,

Windows 2003 Server doesn't have Extend/Shrink Volume features in Disk Management, the functions only be available in Windows 7/Vista/2008.

As this thread quiet for a while, I wonder if you have solved your problem. Assuming you have fixed, in case of who have the same problem. I think there is a better solution with step by step tutorial. I hope it will be helpful.

Therefore, you need to increase C drive with some third party software.

http://www.extend-partition.com/partition-windows-server/extend-system-partition-c-drive-server.html

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

com_lover — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 09:18:18 GMT

I found the related topic about your confusion, you can try this solution, maybe it can help you.
http://www.partition-magic.org/windows-server-2003/extend-system-partition-windows-server-2003.html

Re: smart array p400i capacity expansion after hdd change

Stefan Pippel — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:57:57 GMT

Hello, again.

I would like to mention again, that my questions did not concerning the extending in Windows, this is no problem.

I did only ask for the smart array functions for extending.
We have now tested this and as a result: without the batterypack, this option is not available in the ACU.

So we made an image, deleted the logical drive, created a new - great one, and wrote the image back to the new logical drive.

Best regards, Stefan